CAPRICORN(December 22 - January 19)Enjoy qualitytime with family, perhaps sharing a meal. Express the worries you may be feeling for a younger sibling. Monetary issues need your attention. Don't get carried away with spending now and you will have money for travel and entertainment later. Much deserved glory is yours. You've worked hard and as a result your professional life feels promising. Be ready when opportunity knocks. Your satisfaction in work will spill over to your married and personal life. Overall, the day seems to be pleasurable in every possible way, be it home or office.

PISCES(February 19 - March 20)You are happiest right now when you are alone, free to pursue philosophical or spiritual thoughts. You may feel a need for change, may be feeling restless. Success can be achieved if you listen to elders and take time to attend to your mental and emotional health right now. Attend to matters of love and commitment. Relationships taxing your time and money might be better off ended. You may need to devote time to sorting out your finances. Keep your goals in mind and locate the resources and people to see them through. A forceful yet gentle approach makes success possible.

SAGITTARIUS(November 22 - December 21)An opportunity to take a short journey away from home may be on the way. You may be accompanied by a caregiver or sibling. Take care to communicate effectively now, whether through email, phone or text. Being a good listener is key. Reach out to friends and even those who have been adversaries in the past. This is the moment to find common ground and work together. Networking today yields larger returns later. The way you communicate with others will determine the quality of your life. Grab any socializing opportunity, reach out to people of varied backgrounds and win friends for life!

ARIES(March 21 - April 19)A recent loss or accident may be causing you some stress. Weight current decisions carefully to avoid fraud or deception. Join a club or partake of a social event if you are feeling lonely or cut off from others. You will be a welcome addition to any party or social group. Face the fears that are holding you back. Good fortune is headed your way. A meeting or official conversation may be causing you anxiety, especially if a contract or deal is at stake. Don't worry. Everything will fit into place. Learn from your own experiences, as well as from the life lessons of others, and you will acquire new skills for success.

TAURUS(April 20 - May 20)Affairs of the heart may be complicated right now, with a relationship in peril of ending. Do what you can to salvage the connection but be ready to let go if needed. Work is richly rewarding right now, with your hard work finally being noticed. A raise or a promotion may now be yours. Closed door meetings are a possibility today. If you find yourself in trouble, rely on help offered by loved ones. This period of introspection and even stoic silence will chart the course of the future. A visit to the doctor may be needed to address health issues. Spend some time on yourself today.

CANCER(June 21 - July 22)A secret or a mistake may be weighing on you right now. Share your concerns with a trusted mentor or teacher. Engaging in vices or risky behaviors would be harmful to your health and reputation. Instead, look to spirituality and meditation, maybe even to travel, for relief and answers. You are effectively balancing work and home life concerns. Your emotions run high, both love and hate, but you feel self confident. Your driving force is your family now rather than the daily chores that seem to take up too much time. Avoid losing your temper. Anger would undo all the good work of the past few weeks.

LIBRA(September 23 - October 22)Enjoy yourself now but don't overdo it. Risky behavior could lead to injury or an accident. Disputes with professed enemies require diplomacy. Your creativity and dedication at work are visible for all to see. An elder, perhaps a grandfather, will need or offer assistance. Your work life never seemed so good as it does today. You can feel positive vibrations all around. A long desired success feels imminent. Explore new areas of interest today. With perseverance you can work your way to the top! You're refreshed and ready to dive into new goals!

AQUARIUS(January 20 - February 18)You are buoyant right now, enjoying material success. Healthy body requires a healthy food and healthy outlook. This is an ideal moment for a new project or idea that has been taking shape in your mind. Pursue that plan now while you are feel confident and supported. You want to break from routine right now and seek fresh ideas. Work may feel draining and uninspiring but stick to the tasks and responsibilities before you. Fresh dreams and inspiration are headed your way. Sometimes without leaps of imagination we lose the excitement of possibilities.

LEO(July 23 - August 22)Monetary setbacks may be a cause of stress right now. Weigh all plans and purchases carefully. If unmarried, it may be time to take the next step in your relationship. Now is an ideal time to tie up loose ends and prepare for a new phase in life. Jot down ideas as they occur to you throughout the day. Avoid being pulled mentally in too many different directions. Setting priorities and doing one thing at a time will get you the desired results. The fact that you are a good manager is made clear as you handle things with perfection both at work and at home.

VIRGO(August 23 - September 22)You may be feeling alone, surrounded by enemies engaging in small minded disputes. Ignore the competition and focus on the work at hand. Some new training or learning a new skill will serve you well. Those closest to you -- partners, spouse, clients -- are in focus. Reviving old connections assists you professionally and financially today. A positive attitude helps you attain a position you've dreamed about. Faith makes it happen. Your hard work and determination yield results. You can certainly count on a raise in both status and self image today. In any case, money and perks are more than good enough.

GEMINI(May 21 - June 20)Complications may occur before or during travel. Your managerial skills will prove useful in dealing with any complications that you face right now, at home or at work. Your ability to lead and work hard has been noticed by others and will soon be rewarded. Communicating your feelings to your significant other is paramount right now, whether through a letters\/email or physical connection. Avoid procrastination and lethargy and you will avoid costly mistakes. Playfulness is fine but set limits for yourself and don't get carried away.

SCORPIO(October 23 - November 21)Be diplomatic in your conversations with family members right now, especially parents and grandparents. Enjoy leisure time but avoid risky monetary choices, such as gambling. Just being or working outdoors should engage your creativity and spiritual side. Follow your gut. Confusion is in the air so give yourself plenty of time and space to think. Gather your facts and listen to your heart before taking the final plunge. Avoid hasty decisions and trust your instincts. They will lead you where you want to go. Wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find your treasure.

why are wicca items dark

Hello, I was looking for a BOS and wicca cauldron, and while I was searching for it I realized that it's not so strange that people associate it with 'dark magic and satanism' because all wicca items look so 'dark'. Why are 99% of all cauldrons black? Why do books of shadows have a black front. Why is the night/moon so important and not the day? Why don't we have books of shadows with the image of the sun. What's up with the black cats?
Why is that?Why does it have such a mysterious and dark vibe?
I prefer my altar to have a more 'happy/colorful' vibe instead of darkness and I'm also still planning to create it that way....is that weird to you? What do you think about it?

99% of the cauldrons are a dark color because they are made from cast iron, and cast iron is black. Just take a look at other things like cast iron skillets and you'll see what I mean.

Books of shadows tend to have an image of the moon on them rather than the sun because in Wicca the Goddess is associated with the moon. In fact she is often called the Lady of the Moon. And since the moon is in the night6 sky the Book of Shadows is often (but not always) dark in color.

Black cats have nothing whatsoever to do with Wicca. The idea that a black cat is unlucky and associated with Witchcraft (not Wicca) is a holdover from the Middle Ages when it was thought that the Devil could roam the land in the shape of a black cat and communicate with the Witches. The idea was silly, of course, but it made old women with cats to whom they spoke easy targets for the Witch Hunters.

Much of the stuff marketed as "Wiccan" today is dark colored because the manufacturer's have the idea that it should be black or dark. This is largely just a marketing ploy and has nothing to do with Wicca or even with Traditional Witchcraft. But it does appeal to those who run toward Goth style or those who don't understand that much about what Wicca is all about. And it scares their parents.

You can put whatever you wish on your altar to suit your taste. There aren't any rules as to what goes on your altar unless you are part of a specific Wiccan Tradition with a standard altar setup. Personally, my altar has a bright red altar cloth with bright golden altar candles. So if you prefer bright colors on your altar then by all means go for it.

The same holds true for your personal Book of Shadows. A three-ring binder makes a great Book of Shadows and you can get those in colors other than black. Or you could even make the covers for your Book of Shadows. I've seen them covered in sequins, shells, paintings, etc. Again it is up to you.

Thanks Lark, I understand that, although it keeps the prejudices alive. If it would be changed, then maybe, maybe people would have a more positive attitude towards wicca...
I found one white cauldron online and ordered that one. It is sold out now. It probably isn't made of cast iron but if it gets the job done, that's what matters to me.

I also found this information online and thought it might be interesting for this topic:

'Black is the combination of all colors and all vibrational rates of light on the material plane. It is known that black is a very good conductor of energy, therefore wearing black simply helps Witches absorb natural energy to increase the power of their thought forms.'

Also black stones like onyx are used to protect yourself against negativity because it absorbs all the negative energy. Maybe magicians like to wear black because it absorbs the negative energy, and therefore it protects them...?

Regarding that excerpt ,I've heard of black things absorbing negative energy in magic, but I learned that white is the combination of all colors of the light spectrum through a prism at once, and that black was the absence of light, therefore the absence of all color. Also I've noticed a theme where lots of people focus way more directly on the goddess for some reason than the God. So that might be a reason more items are themed with the moon and things representative of the night, if people buy a certain type of thing more people make it in excess. I don't know why many people focus more on the goddess because I like to focus on both the feminine and masculine as representations of the divine. But everyone has their ways, and as long as it works for them it's fine with me.

well Ruby, most people come from a religion that was predominantly make [Christianity for example] so consciously or subconsciously they rebel against the divine masculine. while they may agree there is male and female energy, they connect more with the feminine, they fall for the energy and fear the masculine will be more of the same. so while Wicca is a balance of both, people do lean more to the Goddess.

the dark colours are traditional [working at night, blending into the dark i suppose] but you can get robes in many colours [according to Laurie Cabot, she wears black robes, but for seasons or special occasions she'll wear black robes with colourful trim] but again, make your path suit your needs. if something doesn't resonate with you, you don't have to conform. it's your spirituality. i don't wear black in circle [and i've seen some nice green robes i'd love to afford lol]

regarding the altar, my altar has always been colourful. [it does change with the seasons, fresh flowers in spring, autumn colours in fall] altar candles usually are white for the Goddess, black or dark purple for the God, but i've used yellow, green, blue and many other colours, it really comes down to intent. i redesign my altar every so often when it gets cluttered or i feel the need to add/remove objects [until recently i had a box of oils on it] all your tools can be customized. Athame's are usually black handled and Bolines white, my Athame has shells and beads hanging off the handle just cuz i like it. no one's said anything bad about it, and i don't wish to change it [before i got my Athame, i was using this pocket knife with the portrait of a wolf at night.] my BoS isn't black, i've got several, the darkest one is a leather bound one, the others are green, pink, and this one with peacock feathers and gold edged pages.

the mystery is kind of self inflicted tbh, out of fear [because witchcraft was illegal] witches kept in the shadows, and even today not everyone likes witchcraft, so what people conclude is Wicca/witchcraft is a mash-up of old views [black cats] and the handful of pagans they see [usually it's a 'new age' type or a rebellious teenager] so people see it as either scary or the equivalent of a goth phase [my mom thought it was a phase when i first told her] but there are plenty of colourful items too. if you get the chance to go to a witchy shop you'll find many colourful trinkets [or just check out the online shop]

When they make a darker color, i'll stop wearing black. I have a black cat, he is the perfect fashion accessory.
Seriously, if black is not your thing, don't wear it.
An it harm none, do as you wilt! and remember not all witches are Wiccan.

Dear coldblue, I am a Crone, 65 yrs this cycle, an Intuitive, Doula, Empath and Healer. Most Wiccan items marketed are dark to attract that magical part of you. I have an old black knit shawl I wear because it has my energies and gives me comfort. I am an artist and so I fill my life with the colours Our Mother Goddess Gaia has given us. my altar holds white and red candles, small bowls that hold certain herbs, Some crystals, my wolf totem carved from stone, Juniper and a feather for cleansing...these things were suggested to me by spirit guides. every altar is personal. Ask your spirit teachers and they wil help you build it.

I think it just happens that way to be honest. Something about the darkness draws that magickal part out of everyone. Darkness has always been associated with bad stuff like death, evil, hate, depression, etc., but I think in order for one to practice magicks correctly, you sort of have to embrace that side of things. Complete the balance. Both light AND dark, good AND bad, Life AND death. This probably wasn't helpful to your question, but I figured I'd put it out there.